Tips on Managing Health Conditions for Active Individuals

Even with diabetes one can still continue with their active lifestyle.

Energetic people with active lives shouldn’t have to give up their passions once they are diagnosed with a health condition. And with the number of Canadians with diabetes on the rise — an estimated 3 million Canadians are living with the disease — it’s important to know what lifestyle changes will keep you healthy and help maintain energy levels.

“For individuals living with a disease like diabetes, technology has really helped people stay on track and not interfere with the hobbies or sports a highly active person enjoys,” explains Toronto endocrinologist Harpreet S. Bajaj, MD, MPH. “New and innovative tools can help people manage the disease and understand their blood sugar levels to stay on top of their game.”

Here are some tips to help motivate and maximize daily activities to help meet your goals.

Incorporate energy management. Eating three balanced meals a day is crucial for everyone, but for active individuals it’s also important to ensure that the largest portion will be vegetables or fruit mixed in with some lean protein.

Remember the 80-20 rule. Eat well at least 80 per cent of the time, but it’s very important to leave some room for soul nourishment and favourite foods. A guilty snack can be allowed here and there.

Add balance. Activities like meditation and yoga are great for a balanced lifestyle and positive mental health, which can help active individuals stay focused and on track.

Be accurate.Taking care of your health can be challenging, but technology can help simplify the process. The Contour Next One meter and its app help make it easy for people with diabetes to use their smartphones to manage the condition. The new meter also uses coloured lights to quickly indicate if a reading is too high, too low, or within target range, making results more accurate and better to understand.